Order Of Service

Matthew 5:8

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Introduction

In this sixth of the eight beatitudes, there are three operative words: pure, heart, and see. Each word alone, has been the subject of many books, theses and dissertations. Some theologians believe that this is the most difficult beatitude with which to achieve compliance, because it requires each of us to take a good look at the person in the mirror with self-examination.

During the days that Jesus walked the earth in His sinless flesh, they had put more emphasis on dietary and ceremonial purity than on inner purity. They thought that following the 613 rules of the Talmud, the mitzvah, was sufficient and did not consider the inner self. (Please read the end note on page 5.) They had overemphasized the outward appearance of religion to the exclusion of the matters of the heart. The Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes carried the outward show of religiosity to the extreme while ignoring the weightier spiritual matters. Many of the common people thought that these three groups were more religious because of their outward shows. Jesus corrects this error of thinking with this beatitude.

Exposition

1. The Heart

It is common knowledge that the heart is the central organ of the physical body. In the Bible, it is the symbol of the spiritual life. It refers to the soul, the seat or fountain of thoughts, desires, appetites, and motives. In modern usage, we think of the mind as the seat of thought, but in Scripture usage, the heart is the seat of thought as well as feelings. In short, the heart, from a Biblical perspective, means the sum total of the components of the inner person. (Theologians are still having intellectual disagreements about how the inner components, heart, soul, and mind, work and interact.)

2. Pure

We all have a general knowledge of the word pure. Pure means to be clean and is not mixed with anything that soils, contaminates or dilutes. In addition, we can learn even more when we see how the Greek word for pure, katharos, was used in every day usage. Let’s look at how it was used and gather some spiritual truth metaphorically.

Pure water is clear with no soil or other foreign matter. Our hearts should not contain envy, hatred, revenge, or malice. Our hearts should include gratitude, compassion, and the fruit of the spirit.

Pure wine and liquor are not diluted to make it easier to swallow – to remove the sting. We must not dilute the Gospel to make it easier for people to accept it. The Gospel is easy enough; all one has to do is believe.

Pure gold and silver do not have an admixture of the alloys of the common metals, such as iron or copper.  Pure gold and silver sparkle brighter than impure gold and silver. We should sparkle brightly with the love of Jesus.

Pure grain is winnowed, and all of the chaff and husks are removed. The chaff and husk are needed during the developmental stages, but are not useful after harvest. Both are not edible. We must realize that life runs in stages, and what was necessary at one stage may not be necessary at another stage, and can actually impede our progress.

A pure army has been cleansed of all of the cowards and soldiers not physically fit to fight. We must purge our inner selves of all fears and thoughts that will not help us win the battle against Satan.

A pure document has no errors of grammar and is free from colloquialisms and profanity. Our thoughts must not contain worldly thought patterns. (Since I had my daughter, Carmen, who is an English teacher to proof this outline, this outline should be a pure document.)

3. See

The expression, “They shall see God,” is derived from the practice of Eastern monarchs who lived in great seclusion. They were seen by only a few trusted members of the court. It was considered a rare privilege to see the face of the king. When in public, the subjects were not allowed to come close enough to see the details of the king’s face. Even after Esther became the queen, she could not go uninvited into the presence of her husband, the king, upon penalty of death.    

When the Greeks in Jerusalem in the last week of the passion, came to Philip and said, “Sir we would see Jesus,” they meant they wanted to consult with Him and ask Him questions about His views on religion. They had seen Him going about Jerusalem, but they wanted to have an intimate conversation with Him and enter into His presence. Those who have pure hearts will be a part of the intimate inner circle. In other words, they will be included in God’s holy “in crowd.” They have unhindered access to the throne room of the Eternal. That’s the benefit of a pure heart.

Closing Thoughts

Just as we have constant routines to keep our physical bodies, our clothes, and our homes clean, we must also work hard to keep our hearts pure. Our foreparents knew how difficult it was to keep a pure heart during the atrocity of slavery. Even after being saved, they had to work hard to keep their hearts pure and not be vengeful. The following well-known spiritual reflects that sentiment.

“Lord, I want to be a Christian

In my heart, In my heart;

Lord, I want to be a Christian

In my heart.

Lord, I want to be more loving

In my heart, In my heart;

Lord, I want to be more loving

In my heart.

Lord, I want to be like Jesus

In my heart, In my heart;

Lord, I want to be like Jesus

In my heart.”

Give God Glory! Give God All The Glory!

Related Scriptures

Psalm 24:3-5; Psalm 51:10; James 4:8

End Note

There were 613 rules of the mitzvah. 248 were positive – thou shall, and 365 were negative – thou shall not.  Here is an example of one. Before an orthodox Jew sat to eat a meal, he or she had to wash their hands in a certain way. This was not in the interest of hygiene, because they did not know germs or viruses existed, but it was because of ritual and ceremonial purity. First, he or she had to hold each hand with fingers pointing upward, and pour water over the hands until it reached at least to the wrist. Then he or she had to cleanse each palm by rubbing it with the fist of each hand. Then hold each hand with fingers pointing downward and pour water from the wrist so that it would run down the hand and off by the fingers. In John 2:6, this act of ritualistically washing the hands is mentioned at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, where Jesus performed His first miracle.  Many believed that the meticulous observance of these rituals and ceremonies would make a person pure and well-pleasing to God. Jesus taught, while this is fine, it takes more than that.

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